Zubin heads back to Sphere, firm staffs up with three new hires — Maya Seiden joins BGR group — From journalism to advocacy to art

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ZUBIN HEADS BACK TO SPHERE, FIRM STAFFS UP WITH THREE NEW HIRES: Patrick Zubin has rejoined the firm Sphere Consulting as a vice president after a stint at the U.S. State Department. In his role at Sphere, he will manage communications and government relations efforts for clients in the financial services, telecommunications, and biotechnology industries. Zubin was most recently in the State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, where he advised on foreign investment and commercial advocacy efforts.

Carla Amundaray, George Sunderland and Edward Thurlow have all joined Sphere as associates. Amundaray will be assisting management with international clients and joins from an internship at the Department of State in Puerto Rico and the Communications and Press Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico during the Luis Fortuño administration. Sunderland will focus on international political analysis. He graduated from the Harrow School and University College London. At Sphere, Sunderland will focus on international political analysis.(Sources tell PI that Sunderland is the earl of Sunderland, and is related to the Duke of Marlborough.) And Thurlow recently graduated from the SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) and Kings College London.

MAYA SEIDEN JOINS BGR GROUP: Former top State Department official Maya Seiden has joined the firm BGR Group as a vice president. Seiden is a veteran of both the Clinton and Obama administrations — most recently serving as chief of staff in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. In that role, she oversaw budget and strategic planning for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. In the Clinton administration, she served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Energy and Special Assistant to the White House Cabinet Secretary. She’s also done stints in the private sector, including gigs at BlackRock and New York University. “Maya will be engaged in all aspects of the firm’s activities — government relations, public relations and commercial transactions, especially on the international front,” said firm chairman Ed Rogers said. “Maya’s experience in government, politics and business will make her an important addition to BGR starting on day one.”

GOOD WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON,where it’s been 825 years since Richard I was crowned King of England. He was best known as Richard the Lionheart for his courage in battle. Send us your some lobbying news, gossip, tips and scoops to btau@politico.com. And keep up with PI on Twitter by following @ByronTau or @PoliticoPI.

FROM JOURNALISM TO ADVOCACY TO ART: Artist Maria Fernandez Gold is debuting her first art show at the Byrne Gallery in Virginia. Gold — the spouse of Holland & Knight practice leader Rich Gold — is a former journalist with BNA, as well as a former official at the AFL-CIO.She transitioned to doing art full-time after her children left for college. Her work is multimedia and abstract and hangs in a number of downtown offices, including Holland & Knight and in an executive office in Verizon’s Washington shop. Gold told PI that her father was a WWII veteran who took up painting as a way to relax and relieve stress — though he would always imitate the style or paintings of other artists. He bought her a canvass when she had her children and suggested that she pursue her own style. “If you start to copy, you’ll never be able to stop,” she recalls him telling her. The exhibit opened August 27 and will run through September 28. An opening reception will be held Saturday at the gallery. Her website, including a portfolio, is here: http://bit.ly/1roidFS

ABBVIE MAKES TWO HIRES: Pharmaceutical research and development company AbbVie has hired Nixon Peabody and Lincoln Policy Group, according to Senate lobbying records. At Nixon Peabody, lobbyists Thomas Reynolds, Sally Vastola, and Douglas Dziak will focus on issues related to tax reform. At Lincoln Policy Group, Blanche Lincoln, Robert Holifield and Hannah Lambiotte Smith will work on tax issues as well as policies related to Medicare access and payment methods. The company has made news recently for two big moves. First, in July, the company acquired U.K.-based Shire seeking out tax advantages from moving abroad, according to The Wall Street Journal. And on Wednesday it announced plans to partner with Infinity Pharmaceuticals to develop and market a treatment for blood cancers. AbbVie has spent more than $2.8 million on lobbying so far this year, with $2.3 million spent in-house and the rest distributed across seven other firms.

BAYER HIRES GREENBERG TRAURIG: Pharmaceuticals and chemicals giant Bayer Corporation has hired Greenberg Traurig, following a group of lobbyists that left Dickstein Shapiro for Greenberg earlier this summer. Former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.), Rob Mangas and Laurie McKay lobbied on behalf of Bayer at Dickstein Shapiro, and will continue that work at their new firm. Bayer is seeking a range of lobbying work that includes health care policy, Obamacare implementation, trade promotion authority and regulation of chemical facilities. The company spent $90,000 in each of the first two quarters this year at Dickstein Shapiro and has posted four other registrations this year, according to Senate lobbying disclosure records.

NVCA TAPS JUSTIN FIELD: The National Venture Capital Association has hired Justin Field as vice president of federal policy. He joins the association from Sen. Robert Menendez’s office, where he was a legislative assistant to the New Jersey Democrat. “With twelve years of experience at the highest rungs of Congress, Justin is a perfect fit for NVCA,” said Bobby Franklin, president and CEO of NVCA. “His policy experience touches many corners of the innovation economy, providing him with a deep appreciation for the issues impacting venture capital and the high-growth companies our members fund and mentor. With experience in both the House and Senate, Justin’s keen understanding of the legislative process will be a great asset to NVCA as we advocate for policies to strengthen the startup ecosystem.”

MOVEON HIRES WASHINGTON DIRECTOR: Liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org has hired Ben Wikler as their Washington director. In his new role, Wikler is tasked with ensuring MoveOn members’ voices and views are heard in the capital and across the political media landscape. He previously held senior roles at Change.org and Avaaz and has served as a strategist for MoveOn. As Washington director, Wikler will help lead a new rapid-response communications operation through the 2014 elections and serve as a MoveOn media spokesperson and commentator.

NRF ADDS TREACY REYNOLDS TO COMMUNICATIONS SHOP: The National Retail Federation has hired Treacy Reynolds as Communications & Public Relations/Media Relations Coordinator. She comes on board from American University,where she was a public relations coordinator. Previously she spent a year working as a community relations coordinator at WHDH 7News in Boston.

OUTDOOR ASSOCIATION MARKS LWCF AT 50TH: It’s the 50th anniversary of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the outdoor industry and conservation groups are commemorating its passage and looking to the future. The Outdoor Industry Association along with the Conservation Alliance delivered a letter to Congress signed by 151 outdoor companies, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, outfitters and guides. The companies’ urged Congress to support reauthorization and full, dedicated funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The letter is here: http://bit.ly/1pp3rsW

PODESTA LAUNCHES NEW DIGITAL PAGE: The Podesta Group is launching a new web portal highlighting the firm’s digital offerings. The firm has long had digital services and offerings, but decided with the growth of the space, it made sense to highlight the firm’s work and capabilities.“As the rise of social media and data-driven advocacy is rewriting the playbook for smart public affairs strategies, we continue to rewrite ours,” said Podesta Group CEO, Kimberley Fritts. “Our digital team is not only part and parcel of all of our lobbying campaigns, but it’s also driving our rapid growth on the non-lobbying side. All politics is local. Today that means all politics is digital.” The new page is here: http://digital.podesta.com/

GAZPROM-LINKED BANK HIRES FORMER SENATORS TO LOBBY: A bank affiliated with Russian energy giant Gazprom has hired former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and former Sen. John Breaux to lobby against U.S. sanctions. According to a lobbying disclosure Friday, Lott and Breaux will focus on “banking laws and regulations including applicable sanctions” on behalf of Gazprombank. Gazprombank was founded by Gazprom and is one of the targets of U.S. sanctions on Russian companies. Andrew Restuccia reports for POLITICO:http://politi.co/1qZhirf

ELSEWHERE IN THE INFLUENCE WORLD:

GO TIME FOR K STREET: “With only two weeks left on the calendar before lawmakers leave Washington to campaign full-time, lobbyists are limbering up for a two-week dash that could determine whether their clients win big after the election,” Megan Wilson reports. http://bit.ly/1ttHy3w